Graham took a step toward Ken, lifting one of the sticks again with the clear intention of ending whatever fight was left in him. Ken looked up at him with a stunned expression, half-conscious and barely able to keep his balance. The room had fallen into a suffocating silence until a sudden voice cut through it like a blade.
"Drop that right now."
The voice was sharp enough to freeze the entire class at once. Graham's arm halted mid-swing and every student turned toward the door with a mixture of fear and relief. Standing there was Mrs Simon, the lecturer who had been assigned to the class that morning. She looked nothing like the calm, strict professional everyone expected to walk in at the start of a lesson. Instead, she stood rigidly at the threshold with her eyes wide and her mouth slightly open as the chaotic scene unfolded before her.
Mrs Simon was a refined brunette woman with soft curls falling over her shoulders, wearing a deep navy dress that hugged her curves and a pair of heels that clicked sharply against the floor as she stepped fully into the room. Her sexy and thick thighs flexed with each step, giving her an air of confidence even though her expression betrayed how stunned she was by the carnage. The outline of her boobs rose and fell in quick motions as she took in the sight of broken desks, whimpering boys sprawled on the floor and Graham standing over Ken with two broken sticks in his hands.
"What in God's name happened here," she whispered under her breath, though the entire class still heard her clearly.
One of the girls near the front stammered, "Ma… it happened so fast… Ken came back with his group and they jumped him… Graham was only trying to defend himself."
Mrs Simon did not respond immediately. She looked from one injured boy to the next, her gaze moving over bruised arms, swollen faces and splatters of blood staining the tiles. Her eyes finally landed on Graham, and for a moment, all she could do was stare at him. His chest rose and fell heavily, his shirt wrinkled, stained and torn, his hair disheveled and sweat running down his temples. Despite all of that, he stood firm, unshaken and still gripping the sticks as if expecting another attack.
"Graham," she said again, her voice softer but still firm enough to command attention. "Put those down. Right now."
He blinked once, the anger in his eyes flickering faintly as her tone and pretty face had managed to reach something behind the rage. Slowly, reluctantly, he lowered the sticks to his sides but did not drop them. He looked at her with a guarded expression, unsure if she was angry, frightened or something else entirely.
Mrs Simon took a small step forward, her heels clicking again, and she swallowed hard as she tried to find her words. She looked genuinely shaken, not used to witnessing raw violence inside her classroom. Her lips parted slightly and then closed again as she struggled to process everything at once.
"This… this is unbelievable," she finally said in a low voice. "I have never seen anything like this in all my years teaching."
The class remained silent, holding their breath as the tension thickened in the air. Mrs Simon's eyes flicked once more between the wounded boys and Graham. Her hands trembled slightly before she folded her arms in an attempt to appear composed.
She exhaled slowly, still rendered speechless by the sheer brutality she had walked into, and the room stayed frozen in that heavy moment.
Mrs Simon finally gathered enough composure to speak clearly. She straightened her back, adjusted her dress and forced her voice to steady, though the tremor beneath it still showed how deeply rattled she was.
She rubbed her forehead with her fingers, her frustration clear. "You four," she said to Ken's squad, "you're all going to the clinic. And the school will be notifying your parents as well."
One of the boys tried to speak, but Mrs Simon cut him off immediately. "Save it. I do not want to hear excuses. All of you are responsible for this mess."
As more nurses came in, the injured boys were lifted one by one onto stretchers. Ken was barely conscious by the time they pushed his stretcher out of the room. One of the nurses was already calling for an ambulance because the school clinic couldn't handle the severity of their injuries. Within minutes, sirens could be heard approaching the campus.
Hailey stood anxiously beside Graham, biting her lip and wringing her fingers. Sophia stood a few steps behind with a stunned expression, unable to look away from the broken desks and scattered debris.
When Graham tried to follow the group to the clinic, Mrs Simon called him back sharply.
"Not you, Graham. Stay right there."
He paused and turned halfway, his jaw tightening. There was a faint bruise forming on his cheek and dried blood on his lip, but he still looked steadier than the rest.
Mrs Simon stepped closer to him. Her heels clicked softly and her perfume, something warm and floral, filled the air between them.
"You started fighting back," she said, lowering her voice. "I saw the aftermath. You were defending yourself. But the level of force you used… Graham, you nearly put two of those boys in the emergency ward."
"I didn't attack them first," Graham replied under his breath.
"I know," she said, "but that won't matter much when this reaches the administration."
His eyes flickered with irritation. "So what are you saying?"
Mrs Simon folded her arms again, but the movement was slower this time, almost reluctant. "You need to get checked at the clinic too. You're bruised and you might be hurt more than you realize."
Graham stayed silent.
She exhaled heavily. "But I'm going to be honest with you, Graham. You might be facing possible expulsion after this."
Sophia looked up sharply. "Wait, what? Why would he be expelled? They jumped him."
Mrs Simon glanced at her. "I'm aware of that, Sophia. I witnessed the aftermath myself. But the school has strict rules about violence on campus.
Hailey's eyes widened in panic. "Mrs Simon, please. Graham didn't start the fight. Ken is always bothering people."
"That may be true," Mrs Simon replied, but her voice remained heavy. "Yet five boys ended up hospitalised while Graham walked away on his feet. That alone is going to raise questions."
She turned back to Graham, her expression softening for the first time. "Go to the clinic. Let the nurse check your injuries. After that, the school board will call you in. Until then… try not to do anything else that might worsen the situation."
Graham nodded slowly, though irritation pulled at the corners of his mouth. "Fine. Whatever they want."
Mrs Simon stepped aside to let him pass, but she watched him with a lingering look that mixed worry with disbelief.